Hey guys... I know there's some metalheads out there. I've got a gift cert to iTunes burning a hole in my pocket, so I was poking around tonight. I didn't like any of the metal I heard (and most of it sounded the same) so I'm wondering if a) I'm just getting oldb) I was picking the wrong stuffor c) I have no taste in metal.

Here's what I like: Metallica--all of it, even Load and St. Anger (although St. Anger is mastered extraordinarily poorly.Megadeth--all of it, esp Rust in Peace. OK, Risk sucked. Tool--all of it (yeah, it's not really metalNIN--all of it, although you'd think he'd be over that girl by now. Opeth--although I could do without the growling. Puh-leeze, you've got a nice voice, use it. I have Blackwater ParkOzzy--the older stuffBlue Oyster CultAlice in Chains and their various spin offs

Anyway... anyone have any suggestions? I'm not really into death metal or rap metal.

Heh... some of St. Anger was good. If only they hadn't screwed the rest of it all to hell. And if they'd spent a tad more time on the lyrics instead of repeating the same lines over and over again, it would have helped.

After that is Opeth. I highly suggest you get some more of their albums. Damnation isn't metal, but it's damn good and one of the best produced albums I have heard there is no growling at all, just clean vocals.

Deliverance by Opeth is amazing, it does have a lot of growling, but maybe it will grow on you! The song A Fair Judgement makes this album worth it all by itself and it has no growls.

My favorite Opeth album is Morningrise. The production is raw, but I love how it sounds thorugh my Axioms. It has a lot more acoustical guitar and it is very "progressive", it takes many listens to sink in but once it does you will never get sick of it. Very non-repetitive. Do not get this album first, it is one of their least accessible (but most rewarding).

The album Light of Day, Day of Darkness by Green Carnation is outstanding. The album is 60 minutes long and it's all one song! There is no growling, and it doesn't get old. I almost hate starting this song because it will hook me in and I'm stuck listening to it.

Dream Theater's Images and Words is a must as is Awake. If you like these, then get Scenes From a Memory.

I love Iced Earth, but I do get tired of them more quickly then the above bands. A Question of Heaven is one of my all time favorite songs from any band... The Gettysburg trilogy from Glorious Burden is over 30 minutes and is worth buying the whole album just for that.

Bruce Dickinson's solo album called The Chemical Wedding is outstanding, it's a grower but I like it better than any Maiden album.

I know you don't like growling, but if you can handle growls mixed with female soprano vocals I highly suggest the album Prison of Desire from the band After Forever. It truly is beautiful music, some songs have a "Gladiator soundtrack" sound to them mixed with metal (the song Beyond Me gives me goosebumps).

Amon Amarth's new album called With Oden On Our Side is excellent. It's all growls, but this guy is the best I've heard next to Opeth's singer. In some ways it's better because the production on this album makes his vocals so silky smooth - hard to pull off with growls. The music is very heavy but extremely melodic (pardon the cliche) and there isn't one bad song on the album.

I like tons of other stuff, but these are some of my absolute favorites. Let me know if you want any other suggestions.